The subject invention relates to the electrical connection in a clutch assembly for engaging a compressor in a vehicle air conditioning system.
In an automotive air conditioning system, an electrical coil winding in an electromagnetic/mechanical clutch engages a compressor to pump refrigerant upon demand by the user. The coil winding is disposed within a core housing that is attached to a mounting plate. The coil winding is supplied electrical power from the vehicle electrical system and is grounded to the mounting plate.
A ground lead electrically interconnects the coil winding and the mounting plate, usually by removing insulation from the ground lead and crimping a ring terminal onto the ground lead. A stud extends from the mounting plate and the ring terminal is disposed over the stud, after which the stud is flattened over the ring terminal to create a mechanical joint that completes the ground circuit.
Although the current systems perform perfectly well, there is always a use for an alternative grounding method that reduces the fabrication steps and eliminates components.
The subject invention improves the electrical connection in a clutch assembly for engaging a compressor in a vehicle air conditioning system. Such a clutch assembly comprises a mounting plate having opposite faces with a core winding housing supported on one face of the mounting plate and a core winding disposed in the core winding housing. A drive housing surrounds the core winding housing for magnetically coupling with the core winding in response to electrical power being supplied to the core winding. A first end of a ground lead is connected to the core winding and a second end is connected to the mounting plate. In accordance with the subject invention a tab extends from the mounting plate and the second end of the ground lead is frictionally retained between the tab and the core winding housing.
This is accomplished by turning a tab out of the plane of a mounting plate, placing the second end of the ground lead under the tab and bending the tab downwardly to clamp the second end of the ground lead between the tab and the core winding housing to frictionally retain the second end of the ground lead between the tab and the core winding housing.
This simplified method of electrically connecting the ground lead to the core winding housing eliminates the extra ring terminal attached to the ground lead as well as the stud extending from the core winding housing to receive the ring terminal.